Why in News?
- Recently, the World Bank has approved a loan of USD 1 billion to India to support the country prepare for future pandemics and reinforce its healthcare infrastructure.
- The loan will be split into two complementary loans of USD 500 million each.
Areas Where World Bank Loan will be Channelized-
- The loan will be used to assist India’s flagship Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), which was introduced in October 2021, and will enhance the public healthcare infrastructure across the country.
- Both loans use the Program-for-Results financing instrument, which focuses on accomplishing results rather than inputs. The loans have a final maturity of 18.5 years, involving a grace period of five years.
- The Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program (PHSPP) will give USD 500 million to assist the government’s efforts to develop India’s surveillance system to detect and report potential international epidemics.
- The Enhanced Health Service Delivery Program (EHSDP) will give another USD 500 million to help the government’s efforts to reinforce service delivery through a redesigned primary healthcare model.
- One of the loans will prioritize healthcare service delivery in seven states- Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
Status of India’s Health Sector-
- As per the World Bank estimates, India’s performance in health has improved over time. India’s life expectancy has increased from 58 in 1990 to 70.19 in 2022.
- The under-5 mortality rate, infant mortality rate, and maternal mortality ratio are all close to the average for India’s income level.
Major Issues of Health Sector-
- Insufficient Medical Infrastructure- India has a shortage of hospitals, especially in rural areas, and various existing healthcare facilities lack basic equipment and resources.
- As per the National Health Profile, India has hardly 0.9 beds per 1000 population and out of which only 30 percent are in rural areas.
- Gap in Doctor-Patient Ratio- One of the most critical concerns is the gap in the doctor-patient ratio. As per the Indian Journal of Public Health, India requires 20 lakh doctors by 2030.
- Though, at present a doctor in the government hospital attends to approx. 11000 patients, which is more than the WHO recommendation of 1:1000.
- Shortage of Adequate Mental Healthcare- India has one of the lowest numbers of mental health care professionals per capita.
- Government’s expenditure on mental health is also very low. This has resulted in poor mental health outcomes and insufficient care for people suffering from mental illness.
Various Government Initiatives Related to Healthcare-
- National Health Mission (NHM).
- Ayushman Bharat.
- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
- National Medical Commission.
- Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram.
- Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram.
About PM-ABHIM-
- The Prime Minister introduced the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission in October 2021, giving a significant boost to the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
- The PM-ABHIM is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) with some Central Sector Components for the implementation of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package for the health sector, as announced by the Finance Minister in May 2020.
- The scheme’s aim is to fill critical gaps in health infrastructure, surveillance, and health research- spanning both urban and rural areas- so that communities are Atma Nirbhar in managing such pandemic or health crises.